Try moving it around. Do the chairs wobble? Good quality chairs don't (I've got a set of Henkel Harris Duncan Phyfe style chairs that proves you can't rely on brand name alone). Table legs can usually be tightened. Beds are notorious for being loose, but if they use old fashioned bed bolts, they can be tightened up. I usually equate good quality furniture with being sturdy enough for its intended function (and the very best uses construction techniques and fits that maintain their integrity for generations). Dovetails are a good constuction technique. Raised panel door construction is another. Mortise and tenon joints are strong and durable (and sometimes may be given away by wooden pegs driven through the tenons). If you look at tables with leaves, look at how the slides are constructed - the heavier and beefier the better. Look at the secondary woods, and how it is fastened and finished. Since this doesn't show, this is an area where a lot of lower quality goods may cut corners. Any secondary wood that isn't "real wood" would make me question the quality (though I have seen some very nice Baltic birch drawer boxes). Look at how the pieces are fitted together. On good quality pieces, there will not be any gaps or fillers. You also won't be able to easily tell where they have filled any nail holes. Finally, look at the visible wood. I like solid wood, because it is easier to repair and finish (look for continuation of end grain around the edge of tops to see if it is solid). But don't discount veneer - some of the best furniture uses veneer (just make sure it is firmly attached, smooth, and flat). Good quality furniture doesn't use finger-jointed lumber, nor will you be able to detect where surface defects have been repaired. Flat surfaces will be flat, not rippled like someone is trying to mimic hand-planing by doing a poor job at it. The finish should be smooth, without dust, runs, orange peel, or splotchy areas. Note that it is a lot easier to hide poor workmanship or wood under a dark stain. On the other hand, if your into refininishing, sometimes you find diamonds under layers of old paint or varnish. Trust your gut. Quality is sort of like pornography - hard to define, but you'll know it when you see it.

We had a similar dilemma with our own DS when he was a teen. I looked at a lot of different options, but decided to go with a daybed for a number of reasons. 1) Teens tend to spend the majority of the time in their rooms, lounging on their beds and on the floor. I wanted something that would hold up to a lot of flops and would act as a kind of sofa for him and his friends that came over to hang out with him. 2) I chose a single with a separate slide-out trundle (not the ones that look like drawers) in case company needed to sleep there. In my mind, two singles are more versatile than a double. The single gave him more floor space for a beanbag, floor pillows, a rug, and a small entertainment center for his tv, stereo, books, Nintendo, etc. It also gave him and his buddies room to sprawl ;^D 3) DS requested a room that would act as a den for him and his friends. A double bed in there would not have worked for that. He really enjoyed having this room all through middle and high school . . . and in college, when he came home for visits. It worked especially well then, as he loved bringing friends home with him to show them New Mexico. A couple of things I learned if you do go the daybed route. ~ buy a good, sturdy one, without a back and arms. Guys tend to be rough on furniture at that age and he broke his first daybed frame horsing around. He disliked the arms and back, as he said he was always bumping his head and feet on the wood. ~ use a simple, easy to care for, machine-washable coverlet for the daybed. One with a small, dark print or a dark, plain one is preferable for guys. ~ large floor pillows with washable covers ~ ditto with pillows for the bed, so he can lean against them while sitting in bed. They will end up on the floor eventually, though ;^D Lynn

Personally, I would spend the money on any structural and integrity related things, then budget on the stuff you can see...appliances, cab's, etc. One of the hard things when you redo an old home is not knowing what to expect until the interior walls are removed. We found that out even on our 30 year old home. You're a huge chunk of money ahead of the game by having the previous owner redo the electrical systems. Expect that much of the plumbing will have to be redone, as well. You should be able to salvage, reuse, or save much of the stuff already. Try to rescue as much of the baseboards and trim as possible. You can sand it, repaint it, or have it stripped and stained. Windows in an old home are quite controversial. It's up to you, but check with your local ordinances to see if in the process of renovating you have to bring the windows up to code in terms of efficiency. You may be able to save all the old sashes and frames, and have all the glass replaced with double pane low E with argon. I've seen that done in old turn of the century condo loft conversions in midwestern cities. It seems like it would be quite a bit more expensive than replacing the windows. There are cheap sources for flooring, but be very careful with them...many use a sub grade of wood, or the wood comes from questionable forestry practices around the world. Cheap bamboo from China is particularly bad. Check with Habitat for Humanity for second hand building materials stores. Here in Seattle we have one called Second Use, which is basically a consignment store where the proceeds can be directed to Habitat. Some incredibly great stuff from old houses are there, and they even accepted my 30 year old solid fir front doors. Many cities, big and small, have second hand material stores. Plus there are old building supplies available online...I've seen old turn of the century mantels and doors sold on the internet. Kitchen and bath cabinets can eat up the biggest part of your budget. Do what you can live with, but remember that structurally a 5K IKEA kitchen will be just as sound than a 40K custom kitchen. You're just more limited in cabinet sizes and door finishes. Do your hardest shopping for cabinets, both in retail and online. And don't overlook all the small custom cabinet makers in your community. Many times they are the same price or cheaper than the big name brands. Plumbing and lighting fixtures can be purchased online with huge savings. Your plumber or electrician can also let you buy direct from their wholesale supplier at cost...you have to do the legwork, pay the tax, and pay the company directly. You just have to ask...some want to make their 20% markup, some don't mind passing the savings onto you. And check to see if there is a building materials supply house near you where all the contractors shop. Many times you can start an account yourself...some outfits require you to have a license, some don't. You'll get about 40-50% savings on building materials, carpet, tile, flooring, etc. THey usually go by names such as Builder's Supply Co. If you are doing an extensive renovation, spend the money on a good set of architect plans, even if you're not moving walls. You'll probably need it for the city/state permits, and your GC or subs will need it for construction. Sit down and be very realistic with yourself about what you can do personally to save money. Demolition sounds like an easy job on paper (just swing your sledge hammer, have fun...), but it's a dirty and very dangerous proposition. Painting can be fun, but exterior painting requires a skill level and knowledge, and an abilility to climb scaffolding or ladders. Framing new walls or windows is a lot more technical than it seems. And tiling a bath has to be done correctly or you'll suffer the consequences down the road. In other words, hire good people to take care of the structural parts of the renovation. You can general contract this yourself if you have the time. We just did a total house remodel, GC'd it ourselves, and it took way more time than we expected, but it wasn't as hard as I expected it to be.

That WS secretary desk is gorgeous. I can see why you are drawn to it. I have this Pottery Barn Graham secretary desk in mahogany. I really love how it looks and it's just the right size for me. I'm not sure if it's too traditional for your tastes though. Crate & Barrel offers this Newman desk. It's a lot more affordable than the WS desk, so if your children destroyed it maybe it wouldn't be quite such a loss. Crate & Barrel also offers this Clarke secretary desk. Not quite the same look, but very modern. CB2 has a similarly modern, but more spare desk in the Intimo. Room and Board offers this nice looking office armoire in a variety of finishes.